Philosophy of Technology

Adam Powell

In my area, I teach Industrial Technology Education, specifically Welding, at the highschool and junior college level.  Throughout my continued education and career, I have learned that philosophical concepts in education differ with different learning styles and different personalities of people.   I feel that there are important concepts and ideas in the many different philosophies and teaching methods of others.  As a teacher, I use a variety of these to enhance my students’ learning.  Knowledge can be learned in many different ways.  The way the material is presented provides the basis of learning for a student.  One must be versatile and try many different instructional strategies and experiments to see what works best for each situation and each student.  Technology provides vital tools that I can use as an instructor to fully enhance my students’ learning environment.

Technology is continually advancing in my area.  I use many different types and instructional media for presentation use, such as Power Point and computer generated modules.  I also use a database known as Powergrade to keep track of my students' progress, attendance etc; in addition, I use Microsoft Excel to keep a second copy of these records.  In the lab, I use the latest welding technology equipment available, including a new computer-aided plasma cutter I recently purchased for my program.  This is my first year teaching with this tool, so I am very excited to experiment with it. 

In my classroom, students are required to write research papers, which are to be typed in Microsoft Word; I feel this forces students to learn how to use a computer.  In the lab, students use the computer-aided plasma cutter, as well as various tools, such as auto-shade welding helmets, etc.  The current state of software and hardware is fairly up-to-date as a public school can be expected with the current financial means available.   The hardware could use some renovations, as they are starting to become dated.   Other than that, I feel our software is up to speed.   With the evolution of technologies at the rate it is today, it is truly endless.  I feel that welding equipment will become more user-friendly, as well as becoming more automated.  In my classroom, I would like to purchase more advanced computers and high-tech machinery for students' use as it becomes available.

           In my opinion, the primary concern for school should be to efficiently and effectively teach students, through the use of technology, the basic knowledge and skills of lifelong learning so the student can carry over this knowledge in their everyday living to succeed and pass it on to every forthcoming future.

            I believe that my degree in the field of Industrial Technology Education along with my continued education in pursuance of a master’s degree in Career and Technology Education, experience teaching students and non-traditional students, and also field experience enables me to provide a well-rounded learning environment for my students, which will hopefully allow them to succeed in life for whichever path they may venture.